rom Him.

But we should do as they do who wish to ask a favor of great princes.
These do not plan merely to babble a certain number of words, for the
prince would think they mocked him, or were insane; but they put their
request very plainly, and present their need earnestly, and then leave
it to his mercy, in good confidence that he will grant it. So we must
deal with God of definite things, namely, mention some present need,
commend it to His mercy and good-will, and not doubt that it is heard;
for He has promised to hear such prayer, which no earthly lord has done.

XIV. We are masters in this form of prayer when we suffer bodily need;
when we are sick we call here upon St. Christopher, there upon St.
Barbara; we vow a pilgrimage to St. James, to this place and to that;
then we make earnest prayer, have a good confidence and every good kind
of prayer. But when we are in our churches during mass, we stand like
images of saints; know nothing to speak of or to lament; the beads
rattle, the pages rustle and the mouth babbles; and that is all there
is to it.

But if you ask what you shall speak of and lament in your prayer, you
can easily learn from the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. Open
your eyes and look into your life and the life of all Christians,
especially of the spiritual estate, and you will find how faith, hope,
love, obedience, chastity and every virtue languish, and all manner of
heinous vices reign; what a lack there is of good preachers and
prelates; how only knaves, children, fools and women rule. Then you
will see that there were need every hour without ceasing to pray
everywhere with tears of blood to God, Who is so terribly angry with
men. And it is true that it has never been more necessary to pray than
at this time, and it will be more so from now on to the end of the
world. If such terrible crimes do not move you to lament and complain,
do not permit yourself to be led astray by your rank, station, good
works or prayer: there is no Christian vein or trait in you, however
righteous you may be. But it has all been foretold, that when God's
anger is greatest and Christendom suffers the greatest need, then
petitioners and supplicants before God shall not be found, as Isaiah
says with tears, chapter lxiv: "Thou art angry with us, and there is
none that calleth upon Thy Name, that stirreth up himself to take hold
of Thee." Likewise, Ezekiel xxii: "I sought for a man among them, that
should make